Paul’s First Missionary Journey Begins
(Acts 15:36–41; Acts 18:23–28)

1Now there were certain prophets and teachers in the church that was at Antioch; Barnabas, and Simeon, who is called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, who was brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2And while they were ministering to the Lord, and fasting, the Holy Spirit said: Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul, to the work to which I have called them. 3Then, after they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.

On Cyprus

4Therefore, having been sent forth by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and thence sailed to Cyprus. 5And while they were in Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogue of the Jews; and they had John as their attendant. 6And having gone through the island as far as Paphos, they found a certain magician, a Jewish false prophet, whose name was Bar-jesus; 7and he was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, who was a man of intelligence. This man called for Barnabas and Saul, and expressed an earnest wish to hear the word of God. 8But the magician Elymas (for this is his name, when translated) withstood them, desiring to turn away the proconsul from the faith. 9Then Saul, who is also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, and looking earnestly upon him, 10said: full of all deceit and all wickedness, child of the devil, enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord? 11And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you shall be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness, and he went about and sought some to lead him by the hand. 12Then the proconsul, seeing what was done, believed, being amazed at the teaching of the Lord.

In Pisidian Antioch

13And Paul and his companions put to sea from Paphos, and went to Perga in Pamphylia. But John withdrew from them, and returned to Jerusalem. 14But having passed through from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia; and on the sabbath-day they went into the synagogue, and sat down. 15After the reading of the law and the prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying: Brethren, if you have a word of exhortation for the people, speak. 16Then Paul arose, and waving his hand, said: Men of Israel, and you who fear God, give audience. 17The God of this people chose our fathers, and exalted the people when they sojourned in the land of Egypt, and with an uplifted arm he brought them out from it. 18And for about forty years, he cherished them in the wilderness. 19And when he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Chanaan, he divided their land among them by lot. 20And after that he gave them judges, for about four hundred and fifty years, till Samuel the prophet. 21And afterward they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul the son of Kis, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years. 22And when he had removed him, he raised up David to be their king; to whom he gave this testimony: I have found David the son of Jesse a man after my own heart, who will do all my will. 23From the posterity of this man, God, according to his promise, raised up for Israel a Savior, Jesus; 24John having first preached, before his coming, the immersion of repentance to all the people of Israel. 25And as John was finishing his course, he said: Who do you suppose that I am? I am not he; but behold, there is coming after me one, the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to loose.

26Brethren, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, to you is the word of this salvation sent. 27For those who dwell in Jerusalem, and their rulers, be cause they did not know him, nor the words of the prophets, which are read every sabbath-day, have fulfilled them in condemning him. 28And though they found no cause of death, yet they demanded of Pilate that he should be slain. 29And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a sepulcher. 30But God raised him from the dead. 31And he was seen for many days by those who came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses to the people. 32And we preach to you good news concerning the promise made to our fathers, 33that God has fulfilled the same to us, their children, by raising up Jesus, as it is written in the second Psalm: Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee. 34But that he raised him from the dead, no more to return to corruption, he has spoken thus: I will give you the sure mercies of David. 35For which reason he says also in another Psalm: Thou wilt not suffer thy Holy One to see corruption. 36For David, after serving the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep, and was laid with his fathers, and saw corruption. 37But he whom God raised up did not see corruption. 38Be it known to you, therefore, brethren, that through this man is preached to you the remission of sins: 39and by him, every one that believes is justified from all things, from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses. 40Take heed, therefore, lest that which is spoken in the prophets come upon you:

41Behold, you despisers, and wonder, and perish. For I work a work in your days, a work which you will not believe, though one fully declare it to you.

A Light for the Gentiles

42And as they were departing from the synagogue, they were requested to speak these things to them on the next sabbath. 43Now, after the congregation was dismissed, many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who spoke to them, and persuaded them to continue faithful to the grace of God.

44And on the next sabbath-day, almost the whole city met together to hear the word of God. 45But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spoke against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and reviling. 46But Paul and Barnabas, speaking boldly, said: It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first: but since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, lo! we turn to tho Gentiles.

47For thus has the Lord given us commandment: I have placed thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be for salvation to the most distant part of the earth.

48When the Gentiles heard this they rejoiced, and glorified the word of the Lord; and as many as were determined to obtain eternal life, believed. 49And the word of the Lord was published throughout the whole of that region. 50But the Jews in cited the devout and influential women, and the first men of the city, and raised a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their borders. 51But they shook off the dust from their feet against them, and went to Iconium. 52And the disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.